The Hug That Changed Medicine

It’s not often that a hug changes the world, but for these two premature twins it did just that. In 1995 Brielle and Kyrie Jackson were born premature, and the doctors didn’t think they would survive until a nurse put them together.

When one of the twins took a turn for the worse, a nurse had the novel idea of taking the stronger twin and putting her in the same incubator as her sister -something that had never been done before in the U.S. The healthier sister then put her arm around the critically ill sister -her breathing and vital signs instantly stabilized.

Their hug is now famously known as “The Rescuing Hug” not only saved the twin’s life, but also changed the way that we take care of premature babies forever by highlighting the amazing healing power of touch.

The profound impact of skin to skin contact is known as Kangaroo care (named for the similarity to how certain marsupials closely carry their young.)

is a technique practiced on newborn, usually preterm, infants wherein the infant is held, skin-to-skin, usually by a parent. This ensures physiological and psychological warmth and bonding. Studies have found that skin-to-skin holding stabilizes heart and respiratory rates, improves oxygen saturation rates, better regulates an infant’s body temperature, and conserves a baby’s calories.

The video below catches us up with where they are today, and will make you grateful for their contribution to medicine:

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Author: Christie Lynn Moore

Christie is a University of Toronto student and professional patient due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and related conditions (Craniocervical Instability, Trigeminal Neuralgia, CRPS, Dysautonomia, Gastroparesis, CSA...) and a writer for various websites!
You can follow her work on Facebook: facebook.com/TeaLynnM and Twitter: twitter.com/TeaLynnM